General grants are for supporting communities experiencing inequity, exclusion, and disadvantage in the Wellington region to thrive. Our focus with general granting is on the benefits to communities (the outcome), not on the particular type of initiative or project.

Applications should meet at least one of these criteria:

• Increase community self-determination, e.g.
  • The organisation is led by people in the communities it serves e.g. the staff and trustees reflect the community being represented
  • The work builds upon community strength
  • The work advances community aspirations

• Meet immediate community need, e.g.
  • The work actively improves the lives of the people in the communities it serves
  • There is evidence to support community need for the work
  • The work ‘balances the scales’ and supports equity between those who have enough and those who don’t

• Increase access and inclusion for those who experience disadvantage and exclusion, e.g.
  • The work increases participation for those who experience barriers to inclusion
  • The work increases peoples’ sense of belonging in their communities
  • The work addresses the systemic causes of disadvantage and exclusion such as racism, colonisation, ableism, homophobia, sexism, etc.

• Increase preservation and protection of natural spaces, e.g.
  • The work addresses local or regional environmental issues
  • The work supports the connection between environmental wellbeing and community wellbeing

• Applications must primarily benefit the Wellington region
• Applicants must have a charitable purpose – this usually means you have either charitable or incorporated society status (if you do not yet have charitable status, or are unsure of your status – please call us to discuss)

Up to $10,000 for a quicker decision (expect a decision within several weeks)

Up to $50,000* for more strategic grants (expect a decision within several months). *We will accept applications for more than $50,000 if an initiative strongly aligns with the criteria and our vision. Please speak to us first.

WCF does not fund:

• retrospectively
• central or local government
• commercial ventures (we do fund social enterprise)
• endowments, capital funds, and other trust funds holding investments
• core healthcare services, including primary and secondary health services
• individuals, including scholarships and organisations that provide individual scholarships
• promotion of a religious or political message (we do fund faith-based community services)
• schools (including universities, childcare centres & kindergartens) and organisations who fund-raise primarily for schools
• medical procedures and treatment (including screening, diagnosis, and vaccination); medical equipment; medical research; professional respite care
• Festivals, exhibits, museums, galleries, and other attractions that are designed for the general population
• any other exclusions as approved by the Trustees

(In some circumstances exclusions may differ for specific funds or initiatives)